Reunion
by bionic4ever
Summary: Vis4: Completion of the prophecies Steve's spirit made on his first visits to Jaime.
1. Chapter 1

**Reunion **

Chapter One

Jaime's eyes were closed. Her breathing was barely perceptible and her skin's pallor matched the color of the sheets on her hospital bed, but her expression was calm and her very aura radiated peace. Michael Marchetti tenderly brushed the hair from his wife's face and gave her a soft, lingering kiss before sinking wearily into a chair beside her bed. The doctor in him had never felt so helpless, and the man in him had never been more bereft.

'At least she isn't suffering,' he told himself, 'but dammit - we were supposed to have more time!'

Another man hovered at Jaime's bedside, although Michael couldn't see him. Steve smiled sadly, feeling genuine empathy for Jaime's husband, a role he'd joyfully filled himself, until his death._I'm sorry, Michael. I know how much you love her, and how horribly unfair this seems. You have no way to know this right now, but the fates intended this, all along. It's Jaime's time, and I promise you will live long enough to understand why this was meant to be._

Jaime could hear Steve's words. His spirit had been visiting her for years, and had even manipulated events to ensure she'd marry Michael. To her surprise, though, for the first time since Steve's death, she could - just barely - see his face. As happy as she was to look into his loving blue eyes again, Jaime railed at her first husband; she was furious.

_How can you say that, Austin? **Meant to be**? Tell that to the newborn baby down in the nursery! _

_Jaime -_

_**Meant to be! **Austin, I have never - ever - heard you sound so cold! How dare you? How **could** you?_

_Jaime, Sweetheart -_

_**NO!** I'm not your Sweetheart - not anymore! I am Michael's wife -_

_I know that,_ Steve said softly._ Whose persuasion nudged you to take that first step, to go to lunch with Michael? _

Jaime's sleeping form had not moved. Jaime, herself, found she suddenly couldn't meet Steve's eyes.

_Jaime, this was your choice - your decision_, Steve pointed out quietly, wishing he could hold her, comfort her. Soon, he knew, he would.

_I think I know that. _

_And it was the right one,_ he told her.

_It was the only one, _she asserted._ I couldn't live, knowing I'd given my baby a death sentence. She deserves a chance to live her life; I've already had that chance. _

You saved her. Because of that, she'll save more lives than we can possibly count.

Huh?

You'll see the whole picture soon; trust me.

"Michael?" Rudy Wells spoke gently to his friend from the doorway of the ICU cubicle. If Doctor Marchetti was sharing a private moment with his wife, he didn't want to intrude. The younger doctor moved wearily to the hallway, his eyes never leaving Jaime.

"It's...almost over," Michael said sadly.

"I'm so sorry," Rudy told him, placing a fatherly arm around his shoulders. "If only there'd been a way to save both of them..."

"The baby - how's she doing?"

"She's beautiful, Michael, and in excellent condition."

Marchetti nodded. "Thank you. I wish...I just wish Jaime could see her."

"She probably can," Rudy guessed. He knew, as Michael did, that in almost every sense of the word, Jaime had been gone since very shortly after she'd told Michael of her firm - completely irrevocable - decision. When she'd gone into labor, Jaime's blood pressure had unexpectedly shot well over the danger level. With her past history of cerebral hemorrhage, a soul-wrenching choice had to be made: save the baby or save the mother.

Michael had heartbrokenly pleaded with his wife, but Jaime was unswayed. She insisted they save the child and that she would take her chances. By the time she lost consciousness and the choices moved into others' hands, it was too late. A ruptured aneurism made any new decisions by Jaime's devastated husband or medical team useless.

"Lizzie and Steven?" Michael asked tentatively.

"Sharon's keeping them busy. Last time I looked in on them, Steven was happily building a block tower and Lizzie was painting."

Lizzie, age 5, was Jaime's daughter with Steve, although Steve's accident had taken him from them six weeks before Lizzie was born. Steven, 3, had been born just under a year after Jaime and Michael's wedding, and Michael had been the one to insist their first child's name would be Steven Michael. He considered them both to be his children, loving them equally. Lizzie had been his daughter even before the adoption had become final.

"Thank Sharon for me, please?"

"Already did. She said to tell you she can stay as long as you need her, and - if you'd like her to - she'll help you...ah...tell the kids. When you're ready."

Michael nodded, his face blanching at the thought. "I...don't have the words. Not yet." He turned to head back into the cubicle, grateful for Rudy's supportive pat on his back.

_Look at him, Austin,_ Jaime said sadly, noticing Steve's face had become much clearer and she could also see a vague image of the rest of him. _How's he gonna raise three kids, all on his own?_

_He'll be ok_. Steve held out a hand, instantly visible to Jaime through the mist that surrounded him. _Come here, Sweetheart._ Jaime stared at him, frozen with doubt. _No, it isn't time; not quite yet. I need you to see something._

Jaime's physical form remained in the bed, pale and still, while Jaime's **true** form slowly reached out to take Steve's hand.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Look, Sharon, I'm done!" Lizzie excitedly held up her picture for the nurse to admire.

Sharon smiled warmly at the little girl. "That's beautiful, Sweetie!"

"Can we go see Mommy now? I wanna give her my picture."

"Mommy needs to sleep right now, but I'll tell you what: I'll give that picture to your Mommy's doctor, and he'll hang it right where she can see it, first thing when she wakes up."

Lizzie smiled and threw her arms around the nurse, who embraced her warmly. "Thank you, Sharon." She turned to her little brother. "Steven, I'll help you build now, ok?"

_Sharon's really good with them_, Jaime noted, her hand firmly in Steve's.

_She already loves them_, Steve said softly.

_You mean, Sharon and - and...Michael?_

_No, not yet; not for quite awhile, but eventually - yes. _

_Good... My babies...seem to like her._ Jaime felt the warmth of Steve's essence reaching out to comfort her, and she longed to feel his full embrace.

_She'll help Michael a lot,_ Steve explained, _watching the kids, cooking for the whole family and...just being his friend. He'll have a really rough time... _

_Michael..._Jaime whispered, a small sob in her voice.

_She'll help him - all of them - through the pain. He won't even begin to think of her as more than a friend for nearly two years - _

_I might just have to give him the same kind of nudge you gave me,_ Jaime mused.

_Maybe you will,_ Steve agreed, already knowing that, one day in the future, that was exactly what she would do.

Rudy leaned over Jaime's bed, his brow furrowed as he checked his patient. When he had the stats he'd come for, he turned to the weary but alert man in the bedside chair. "She's still slipping, Michael."

"I know." The younger physician reached out to tenderly caress his wife's face.

"We could put her on a respirator -"

**_NO!_** Jaime protested, but only Steve could hear her.

Michael shook his head sadly. "We'd only be prolonging the inevitable, and probably hurting Jaime, too. Besides...I've seen the brain scan. At this point, Jaime would want us to let her go."

Satisfied, Jaime turned her attention back to Steve. _What about the baby? You said she'd save lives. What did you mean? _

_You'll know soon, Sweetheart. After..._

_Please...I can't leave her unless I know...I mean, I know I have to go anyhow, but -_

_When Lily grows up, because of the way she lost her mother, she'll discover a procedure to prevent what happened to you from taking any more lives._

_And Lizzie and Steven? What about them? My God, Lizzie's already lost one parent!_

_She and Steven will help each other. And yes, they'll have a really hard time but they'll grow up to be partners: the world's foremost authorities on grief counseling - famous. Jaime, you blessed the world with three great kids. And you **will** be with them again, but not for a good, long time._

Steve stood in front of her and the mist began to swirl and fade until Jaime could see all of him. He beamed lovingly at her._It's time to go, isn't it?_ She stated, knowing the answer but no longer hesitant or afraid.

_**Yes**._ For the first time, Steve held out his arms to her, and Jaime slipped from the adoring arms of her second husband into the embrace of the one she'd married first, with one lone tear and a smile.

END


End file.
